robot attempting to hide from another robot to develop
programs that successfully produced deceptive behavior.”
Specifically, in a game of hide and seek, the deceiving bot
knocked down markers in a way that would indicate that it
would be hiding in one of three locations, then actually hid
in one of the other two. After a run of 20 experiments, the
hider deceived the seeker 75 percent of the time.

The concept clearly has its uses in applications such as
military search and rescue (and, in fact, the investigation
was funded by the Office of Naval Research); misleading
the enemy is a useful capability. But, Arkin noted, “We have
been concerned from the very beginning with the ethical
implications related to the creation of robots capable of
deception, and we understand that there are beneficial and
deleterious aspects.” Indeed, a world crawling with robotic
lawyers, car salesmen, investment counselors, and
politicians is the stuff of nightmares.

It’s always dangerous to mix robotics with the fine arts,
and the latest example is the Dying Swan, created at
Sweden’s Mälardalen University ( www.mdh.se) and
choreographed by professional dancer Åsa
Unander-Scharin. According to a news release, “The
Dying Swan is sometimes moving smoothly and gently,
sometimes in a dramatic and fiery manner, as Tchaikovsky’s
majestic music from the ballet Swan Lake is playing ...

Wishy-Washy Robot

Panasonic’s hair-washing
robot: insert your head
and it does the rest.

It’s not designed to replace the shampoo monkey at
your local beauty shop, and it can’t cut hair or do your
nails. But Panasonic ( www.panasonic.net) has introduced
a hair-washing robot that may prove useful in hospitals and
health care facilities for relieving overburdened medical
personnel of a mundane and noncritical task. The machine
employs Panasonic’s robot hand technology, applying 16
fingers to wash hair and rinse away the little bubbles “with
the dexterity of human fingers.” Two arms scan the
patient’s head in three dimensions, and even remember the
head shape, allowing the poo-bot to apply proper pressure
throughout the process. Each arm has three motors that
independently control the swing, press, and massage
motions in conjunction with power detection sensors, so it
probably does a pretty good job. However, a word to the
wise: Make sure it’s properly grounded before you stick
your head inside. SV